De'Longhi CGH800 Retro Contact Grill and Panini Press 14.8 Inch

I bought this panini press based on other Amazon reviews and am so glad I did. This press stores on its side, so it takes up little space in your cabinet, it's super easy to clean and it comes with an actual cookbook called "Delizioso!" which is full of delicious recipes ranging from breakfast style panini all the way through dessert style panini and crostini. This panini press heats up quickly and cooks evenly. The first time I used it, and every time since, my panini came out perfectly. And, I was impressed with how easy the clean up was. I use this press at least 3 times a week to feed my family of 4, and can't imagine not having it. It's so easy to make healthy lunches and dinners with this press. Just throw in a fresh salad at dinner time, and you're set. Literally, you have a fantastic meal in less than 15 minutes.My favorite panini are tomato, fresh basil and mozzerella cheese on rustic whole wheat bread, cheddar cheese, pre-cooked bacon and tomato on honey whole wheat bread, diced chicken, diced dried apricot and mayo on rustic whole wheat bread, and stuffed french toast.If you like cooking at home, like food that tastes delicious, yet don't want to spend a lot of time cleaning up or prepping then this is the panini press to get. Also, this press says it holds 2 sandwiches, but really you can easiy do 3 at a time-maybe 4 depending on how big you make your sandwiches.This is an awesome piece of kithchen equipment.

I've gotta confess I love a good Panini, in-fact I might be a Connoisseur. We have a De'Longhi Espresso maker which has been stellar so decided to roll the dice and spend a bit more on this one after our old machine went out. This bad boy toasts the bread to a golden crisp and the cheesy inside is perfect. My last machine would melt the cheese all over the grill, this one keeps it somewhat contained and close to the bread. My only issue is the lid pivots a bit strange compared of other machines I've used and pushes the top of the bread off the sandwich which you need to hold the bread top in place while slowly closing the lid. Also once done cooking I like to leave the lid open for the machine to cool off, if you don't pivot it back towards the base oil will drip onto the counter behind. A solid 4.65 Stars so glad I chose this over a George Foreman or Hamilton Beach.

I'd like to point out a fact for the people that are disappointed that there's no on/off switch. The reason is that the number one cause of house fires is faulty appliances, according to the Red Cross web site. My friends house burned to the ground about 5 weeks ago from this. Luckily they got out. You should unplug your toaster as well. For the woman who said her insurance adjuster told her it's bad to unplug/plug, sorry but you should file a complaint with your insurance company about that adjuster so people aren't in harms way from their bad advice. This is a great panini press. It works perfectly. It seems to be of good quality. I looked at the Cuisinarts and they seemed cheap. Every Breville I looked at was broken at the store. I wanted the Villaware but they stopped making it because they were bought out by another company. As far as grill marks, I think you want them. It heats up the inside quicker. I was in Rome 11 months ago and my panini had grill marks. I just ate a breakfast sandwich on home made Italian bread and it was light golden brown, and piping hot in the middle. The cheese was oozing and the outside had a nice crunch. It had carmelized red onion with a balsamic reduction. I brushed the outside with EVOO, which contributed to the crunchy and delicious exterior. It was totally awesome.Edit: December 24, 2012-grill still works perfectly after 3 years. Gets used every week.

After spending hours reading online reviews on indoor grills, I decided on this one. I've had it over a week now, have used it several times, and am happy with my choice. Can't speak to its durability or longevity yet, but DeLonghi seems to be reputable.I had a very large fixed-hinge Foreman grill that had sat around for years, then just when I began to appreciate it, it stopped working. I would say it only had moderate use for a year or two, so I was obviously disappointed with its lack of longevity.My priorities in purchasing a new grill were affordability, size, and quality/reputation. When comparing this grill with others, both online and in stores locally, I was surprised at the lower price, especially after receiving it. It looks really nice on the counter (it folds and stands on its edge), and is heavy and well-built. The cooking area is larger than many more expensive models. And it just looks classy!I have grilled pork chops and chicken breasts, panini sandwiches (both with deli meat and breakfast type sandwiches with eggs, bacon and cheese) and everything came out delicious! The grilled meats are definitely juicier and more tender than they were on the Foreman. I think they cook more evenly and the floating hinge allows cooking on both sides without squeezing so hard that all the juices run out during cooking. The cooking area is large and it cooks quickly, so I cooked meat for five+ in 10-15 minutes. I've made sandwiches with different types of bread, and that's the key. So far the Ciabatta was my favorite. Nice and dense and crusty. Today I cooked a pound of bacon and I love the way it turned out. I cooked about 5-6 slices at a time, for 3-4 minutes, so it took about 10-15 minutes to cook a pound, and no grease popping on my hands, face, clothing, etc. It will be more work to clean than a skillet, but for me it's worth it. I have always hated cooking bacon on the stove!Since this grill is open on the back and sides, I cover the counter top with a paper sack to keep it from getting messy. Depending on what you're cooking, it does splatter a bit, and it can be a pretty messy clean-up job when grilling meat, especially if it's very fat or you're using a sauce. But the plates are non-stick and the food will come right off if you do it right. Although the book that came with the machine doesn't say to spray with non-stick spray (except when cooking fish), I would recommend it. It really helps when grilling meat. (don't need it for bacon or sandwiches, since you'll coat them with oil or butter) What I found to work best is to scrape the grill while it's hot (used my plastic scraper from the Foreman grill). This gets the worst of the mess off and keeps it from sticking. After it's cool, I used the Foreman grill sponge (3-pack at Kohl's for $7) and hot water (don't think you're supposed to use soap). Since the top of the grill is movable, it's easier to clean if you lay it down against the counter by tipping the grill - but put a towel or something soft under it or you'll scratch the nice, shiny stainless like I did the first time.Removable plates would be nicer for cleaning, but I've read that sometimes they're not ideal. They can come loose while cooking, and some say the cooking isn't as even with them. So it's a trade-off. I can't say first-hand because I haven't owned a grill with removable plates. Just couldn't find one that was large AND affordable (for me, defined as under $70).In summary, cleaning is comparable to the Foreman I had (actually a bit harder to clean because of the open back and movable top). Quality of food is better, because of the floating hinge/panini press design. It isn't quite as large as my old Foreman, but it's larger than most others. It looks a lot nicer and is easier to store than the "monster" Foreman I had. And of course I'm hoping for a longer life, too!Happy cooking!